Health and Wellbeing amidst a Prolonged Pandemic: Implications for Physicians and Patients

Health is wealth, so goes the popular maxim. The 46th West African College of Physicians Annual General and Scientific Meeting focuses on Health and Wellbeing Amidst a Prolonged Pandemic. Health and wellbeing are closely related components critical to healthy living and cannot be considered independent of each other. While health is a state of total wellbeing; wellbeing is intricately linked with happiness and satisfaction in life. The COVID- 19 pandemic has significantly impacted the health and well-being of nations all over the world. In the wake of the pandemic came the COVID-19 recession which brought a crash in the global economy, reduction in productivity, rise in unemployment, massive layoffs, collapse of businesses and manufacturing industries, disruptions in transportation and much more. These harsh economic realities have placed a huge strain on global mental health resulting in physical, mental and social disorders. The workload of the average physician and other health care workers increased tremendously resulting in burnout and psychological stress with a consequent increase in the incidence of psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, suicide and suicidal ideation amongst others. The lack of preparedness for the pandemic and the inequality in strength of healthcare systems across the world prolonged the pandemic and its adverse consequences on health and wellbeing of the populace. Promotion of health and well-being of health care professionals and the populace at large is essential for the growth of any economy and is an essential consideration for stakeholders involved in disease prevention and health promotion.